Foa_Content_of_HHS-2022-ACF-IOAS-OTIP-TV-0037.pdf

Signature Date

Administration for Children and Families

Immediate Office of the Assistant Secretary - Office on Trafficking in Persons

Domestic Victims of Human Trafficking Services and Outreach (DVHT-SO) Program

HHS-2022-ACF-IOAS-OTIP-TV-0037

Application Due Date: Application Due Date will be submitted as: date based on specified number of days after the actual Synopsis Post Date

April 29, 2022

Table of Contents Executive Summary

I. Program Description

DVHT-SO PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Background

Project Objectives

Project Scope

DVHT-SO SERVICE REQUIREMENTS

Guiding Principles

Eligible Beneficiaries of Program Services

Comprehensive Case Management Services

Financial Assistance for Transitional Costs

Outreach

DVHT-SO ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS

Subawards

Service Delivery Protocol

Faith-Based Organizations

Capacity Building for Project Staff and Subrecipients

DEFINITIONS AND TERMS

POST-AWARD REQUIREMENTS

COVID-19 Response

Schedule of Deliverables

Tools and Resources

Program Performance Indicators

Federal Evaluation

Kick-Off and Peer Meetings

II. Federal Award Information

III. Eligibility Information

III.1. Eligible Applicants

III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching

III.3. Other

IV. Application and Submission Information

IV.1. Address to Request Application Package

IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Required Forms, Assurances, and Certifications

The Project Description

Project Plan

The Project Budget and Budget Justification

Application Submission Options

IV.3. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management (SAM)

IV.4. Submission Dates and Times

Explanation of Due Dates

Acknowledgement of Received Application

IV.5. Intergovernmental Review

IV.6. Funding Restrictions

IV.7. Other Submission Requirements

V. Application Review Information

V.1. Criteria

V.2. Review and Selection Process

V.3. Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates

VI. Federal Award Administration Information

VI.1. Federal Award Notices

VI.2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

VI.3. Reporting

VII. HHS Award Agency Contact(s)

VIII. Other Information

Reference Websites

Application Checklist

Funding Opportunity Title:

Domestic Victims of Human Trafficking Services and Outreach (DVHT-SO) Program Announcement Type:

Initial Funding Opportunity Number:

HHS-2022-ACF-IOAS-OTIP-TV-0037

Primary CFDA Number:

93.327 Due Date for Applications:

Application Due Date will be submitted as: date based on specified number of days after the actual Synopsis Post Date

Executive Summary Notice:

Applicants are strongly encouraged to read the entire notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) carefully and observe the application formatting requirements listed in Section IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission. For more information on applying for grants, please visit "How to Apply for a Grant" on the ACF Grants & Funding Page at https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/how-apply-grant.

The Office on Trafficking in Persons (OTIP) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is announcing funding for the Domestic Victims of Human Trafficking Services and Outreach (DVHT-SO) Program. The DVHT-SO Program's goal is to fund organizations that will build, expand, and sustain organizational and local capacity to deliver services to domestic adults and minors who have experienced severe forms of human trafficking as defined by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000, as amended, through outreach, identification, case management, direct services, assistance, and referrals.

The following activities are required under the DVHT-SO Program: 1) provision of comprehensive, culturally responsive and linguistically appropriate case management to individuals who have experienced sex and labor trafficking and 2) outreach efforts to increase identification of domestic individuals who have experienced sex and labor trafficking.

The DVHT-SO Program is informed by a whole-family approach, focusing equally and intentionally on services and opportunities for clients and their immediate family members living within their households. OTIP encourages establishing community partnerships, meaningfully engaging with individuals who have experienced human trafficking, and hiring qualified professionals who reflect the communities being served in all project implementation strategies under the DVHT-SO Program. Under DVHT-SO, there is a 12-month project implementation period for prime recipients to establish optional partnerships, on-board new staff, and develop a service protocol and a sustainability plan for domestic adults and minors who have experienced human trafficking. However, clients must receive direct services and assistance through the DVHT-SO Program during the 12-month project implementation period.

Under the DVHT-SO Program, prime recipients must provide a statutorily mandated 25 percent match (cash or in-kind).

I. Program Description Statutory Authority The legislative authority for this program is section 107(f) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000, as amended; 22 U.S.C. 7104(b) and 22 U.S.C. 7105(f), section 213(a)(1) of the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008, Public Law 110-457.

Description

DVHT-SO PROGRAM OVERVIEW

https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/how-apply-grant

Background Human trafficking is a crime involving the exploitation of someone to perform labor or commercial sex acts through force, fraud, or coercion. Per section 22 U.S.C. 7102(11) of TVPA of 2000, as amended, severe forms of trafficking in persons has the following meanings:

Sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age; or

The recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery.

When a minor, someone under the age of 18, is asked or made to perform a sex act in exchange for something of value (e.g., shelter, food, money) it is always considered a crime. There does not need to be a third party (e.g., trafficker) or evidence of force, fraud, or coercion for that minor to be identified as a victim of sex trafficking. Human trafficking victims are often difficult to identify or assist without targeted outreach and referral efforts. Victims can be of any age, race/ethnicity, nationality/citizenship, sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation, with or without disabilities.

In 2014, ACF within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) established the Domestic Victims of Human Trafficking (DVHT) Program as required by the TVPA of 2000, as amended. The DVHT-SO Program builds on the DVHT Program to improve victim identification, service delivery, and outreach. In 2021, the Biden Administration published an Executive Order 13985 On Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government to advance equity and support to communities that have been historically underserved, including people of color and others who have been marginalized and adversely affected by persistent poverty and inequality and the Executive Order 14053 on Improving Public Safety and Criminal Justice for Native Americans and Addressing the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People. This NOFO supports these commitments by offering bonus points for community-driven outreach strategies that respond to Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) and address the impact of structural inequities that can intensify risk for human trafficking in underserved communities. Additionally, in 2021, the Biden Administration released the new National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking (NAP). This NOFO highlights specific sections that are responsive to NAP, where appropriate.

Project Objectives The goal of the DVHT-SO Program is to fund projects, through cooperative agreements, that will build, expand, and sustain organizational and local capacity to provide direct services, assistance, and referrals to domestic victims of severe forms of human trafficking as defined by TVPA of 2000, as amended.

Under the DVHT-SO Program, the following activities are required throughout the project period:

1. Provide comprehensive, culturally responsive, and linguistically appropriate case management and victim assistance to domestic individuals who have experienced human trafficking.

2. Conduct outreach to increase identification of domestic individuals who have experienced sex and/or labor trafficking.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/20/executive-order-advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/20/executive-order-advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/11/15/executive-order-on-improving-public-safety-and-criminal-justice-for-native-americans-and-addressing-the-crisis-of-missing-or-murdered-indigenous-people/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/11/15/executive-order-on-improving-public-safety-and-criminal-justice-for-native-americans-and-addressing-the-crisis-of-missing-or-murdered-indigenous-people/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/11/15/executive-order-on-improving-public-safety-and-criminal-justice-for-native-americans-and-addressing-the-crisis-of-missing-or-murdered-indigenous-people/ https://health.gov/healthypeople/objectives-and-data/social-determinants-health http://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/National-Action-Plan-to-Combat-Human-Trafficking.pdf

Project Scope DVHT-SO projects can be implemented in locations that include reservations, off-reservation communities, villages, cities, counties, or specific areas. The geographic area may cross state lines, does not need to be contiguous, and can include federally recognized tribal and non-federally recognized Native communities, urban, and rural areas. Prime recipients must be located in the geographic area to be served by the proposed project.

DVHT-SO prime recipients are authorized to form a partnership(s) with other organizations to achieve the DVHT-SO Program’s objectives in the form of subawards. If the prime recipient chooses to form a partnership(s), its principal office, or the office of the affiliate responsible for implementing and overseeing the DVHT-SO project, must be located within the proposed project’s geographic area. Prime recipients must adhere to 45 CFR § 75.351 when formalizing partnerships with the subrecipient(s). Please see Section I. DVHT-SO Administrative Requirements, Subawards for more information.

Informed by NAP (Priority Action 4.3.2: Leverage federal survivor-consultant networks and federal training and technical assistance centers to ensure survivor input is consistently incorporated into policies and programs), OTIP encourages prime recipients to engage U.S.

citizens and lawful permanent residents (LPRs) who have experienced human trafficking and strategically integrate their expertise when developing DVHT-SO Program project implementation strategies, which can include hiring qualified professionals who reflect the communities they serve. Prime recipients should also incorporate the expertise of those with lived experience in all aspects of the anti-trafficking response development and provide these individuals with opportunities to contribute to program development and activity implementation. These opportunities must provide professional growth and development and not be limited to, or heavily rely on, presentations about the individual’s trafficking experience. Survivor engagement must include compensation based upon the level of engagement and comparable rates paid to practitioners and service providers.

Individuals with human trafficking lived experience should be involved in efforts including but not limited to, the following:

Developing agency-wide policies, and comprehensive case management protocols.

Developing strategies for project implementation, victim identification, and program evaluation.

Developing and delivering outreach activities.

Building organizational capacity.

Leading or contributing to support groups and/or mentorship initiatives.

Identifying community partners.

Prime recipients should inform individuals with lived experience of any professional development, leadership training, consultant, and/or employment opportunities available to them in their community and beyond, including opportunities with the National Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Center (NHTTAC). NHTTAC provides individuals who have experienced human trafficking opportunities to participate in professional development and educational activities, develop anti-trafficking resources, and provide trainings and technical https://nhttac.acf.hhs.gov/ https://nhttac.acf.hhs.gov/ assistance. Bonus points will be awarded to applicants that present a plan to meaningfully and ethically engage individuals with lived experience of human trafficking in project activities.

NAP explains that “to be truly effective, a comprehensive approach to prosecution, protection, and prevention must embed racial justice and equity across all anti-trafficking policies and programs. In line with Executive Order 13985, each agency will assess the ways in which systemic racism intersects with its anti-trafficking work and identify how it can integrate racial justice and an equity-based approach into its anti-trafficking response.”

Therefore, OTIP encourages projects to propose community-driven outreach strategies that respond to SDOH and address the impact of structural inequities that can intensify risk for human trafficking in underserved communities. Bonus points will be awarded to applicants who propose strong and achievable outreach plans that include the following approaches:

1. Target historically underserved communities who may not have equal access to positive SDOH like safe housing or job opportunities;

2. Are rooted in community assessments, narratives, and/or studies of local SDOH challenges that increase risk for human trafficking;

3. Engage members of the target community to strategize and develop strategies to reduce vulnerability to human trafficking;

4. Empower diverse outreach teams whose members are representative of the target outreach community; and

5. Invest resources in culturally responsive outreach mediums and spaces to build credibility, trust, and connections with assistance.

Bonus points will also be awarded to applicants who provide thorough and credible evidence of previous efforts to respond to underserved, at-risk communities to substantiate prior work in this area. Evidence must include the following:

1. More than two letters of support from community organizations in the service catchment area or representatives with standing in the community that can attest to the applicant’s credibility, efforts, and trust among the target community;

2. Results (e.g., increased housing, job, opportunities, etc.) of targeted outreach efforts that have reached underserved communities and connected them to services, including descriptions of project activities and number of individuals reached and/or served within the past 3 calendar years; and

3. Lessons learned and/or promising practices from previous work that will inform DVHT- SO strategies if awarded.

Bonus points will also be awarded to applicants that are located in the U.S. territories in the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico and/or the U.S. Virgin Islands, in order to support services and outreach projects in areas of limited established anti-trafficking response. See Section V.I.

Criteria for more information on bonus points.

DVHT-SO SERVICE REQUIREMENTS

Guiding Principles The DVHT-SO Program incorporates trauma-informed and person-centered approaches to assist U.S. citizens and LPRs of different racial, ethnic, cultural, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, and religious backgrounds who have experienced human trafficking. A trauma-informed care model assumes that clients and staff have experienced trauma. This model includes organizational change that promotes resilience in clients and staff; engages individuals in care;

prevents re-traumatization; and incorporates knowledge about trauma in policies, procedures, http://health.gov/healthypeople/objectives-and-data/social-determinants-health practices, and settings. For more information on the development of trauma-informed services and a framework for becoming a trauma-informed organization, system, or service sector, please visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-informed Approach.

Prime recipients must incorporate culturally responsive and traditional healing practices into the project design and implementation, if appropriate. Cultural wisdom and traditional practices are fundamental to achieving behavioral health improvements today and affecting change for future generations.

All DVHT-SO Program activities must adhere to the National Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) Standards, which are a comprehensive series of guidelines that inform and facilitate practices related to culturally and linguistically appropriate health services. Clients served under the DVHT-SO Program must receive comprehensive case management assistance in their preferred language, including Indigenous languages. The DVHT-SO Program is voluntary; clients must have the option to decline services provided by the agency supported under the program. The clients’ concerns and priorities should guide the actions of the service delivery strategy.

The DVHT-SO Program is informed by a whole-family approach that focuses on services and opportunities for clients and their family members living within their households. While TVPA of 2000, as amended, does not authorize direct benefits for family members, this funding is intended to allow family members to derive benefits from the services provided, when in the client’s best interest. A focus on whole families is responsive to NAP (Priority Action 2.6.3:

Increase access to employment), as well as the 2019 U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking report, which states the following:

“Whole families must be considered in helping survivors overcome and heal. Many survivors have children who have been negatively affected by their parent’s trafficking experience and what they have seen and heard. We must lift up parents and children together with services and supports that will help them be safe, find financial stability, and be empowered to find new opportunities. With recent studies suggesting one in seven children have mental health needs and half do not receive treatment, it is imperative, when supporting families, to also address the needs of survivors’ children. We must offer services that help children heal to break intergenerational cycles of victimization.”

Eligible Beneficiaries of Program Services Eligibility of services under the DVHT-SO Program is limited to domestic victims of severe forms of human trafficking, as defined by TVPA of 2000, as amended. This includes adults and minors, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation (including individuals who identify as Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, and/or Asexual (2SLGBTQIA+)), who are not currently receiving trafficking-specific services from another federally funded program. Under the DVHT-SO Program, prime recipients and, if applicable, the subrecipient(s) may receive funding from more than one federal agency, but clients may not be served through more than one federally funded human trafficking-related grant, contract, or subaward at a time.

https://ncsacw.samhsa.gov/userfiles/files/SAMHSA_Trauma.pdf https://ncsacw.samhsa.gov/userfiles/files/SAMHSA_Trauma.pdf https://thinkculturalhealth.hhs.gov/clas/standards https://thinkculturalhealth.hhs.gov/clas/standards https://www.state.gov/united-states-advisory-council-on-human-trafficking-annual-report-2019/ https://www.state.gov/united-states-advisory-council-on-human-trafficking-annual-report-2019/

Prime recipients must have a viable plan in place to identify individuals who have experienced human trafficking, determine eligibility to enroll clients into the DVHT-SO Program, and refer ineligible individuals for services, in compliance with statutory and administrative requirements, prior to the initiation of DVHT-SO Program funded services. The prime recipient and, if applicable, its subrecipient(s) must implement universal human trafficking screening for all children and youth receiving services. The DVHT-SO Program was authorized by 22 U.S.C.

7105(f) to assist U.S. citizens and LPRs who have previously experienced human trafficking. Therefore, non-LPR foreign nationals, as well as individuals who have not previously experienced human trafficking, are ineligible for assistance. Prime recipients must ensure that all clients enrolled into the DVHT-SO Program meet the eligibility criteria in 22 U.S.C. 7105(f) and that they are not enrolled concurrently in other federally funded programs providing similar services. Prime recipients must develop trauma-informed protocols to assess a prospective client’s eligibility prior to enrollment. Potential clients may not be comfortable disclosing their human trafficking experience, may not know their current immigration status, or know if they are a beneficiary of other federal funding. For more information, see Section I.

DVHT-SO Administrative Requirements, Service Delivery Protocol.

OTIP recognizes that determining eligibility can be a sensitive subject for many potential clients. Individuals who have experienced human trafficking may not have access to identification or immigration documents, or they may have fraudulent documents provided by the trafficker. Others may have arrived in the United States with proper documentation but fell out of status when employers or traffickers did not complete paperwork or did not give them access to documents to establish LPR status. Additionally, foreign nationals who have experienced human trafficking are often identified and apprehended in groups that may include a variety of U.S. citizens, LPRs, and foreign national individuals. OTIP encourages creative approaches that work for the applicant's community. Plans can include partnering with legal services agencies or other entities that specialize in eligibility or serving clients with alternate funding until they have built enough rapport to verify a prospective client’s status.

Prime recipients or, if applicable, any subrecipient(s) who determine that the potential client is not a U.S. citizen or LPR who has experienced human trafficking must have protocols in place to provide referrals to programs that can address the individual's needs including, but not limited to, the Trafficking Victim Assistance Program. Family members in the client’s household are not eligible to enroll as individual participants under the DVHT-SO Program. However, family members who live with the client may derive benefits from the client’s services, such as housing, child care, food, family reunification, and other expenses determined in the client’s best interest.

Comprehensive Case Management Services Under the DVHT-SO Program, prime recipients must conduct a comprehensive case management approach throughout the project period. Comprehensive case management services must include helping clients navigate systems of care, direct services, and/or community referrals for the following, which reflect service priorities identified by the U.S. Advisory Council and in NAP (Priority Action 2.6.1: Increase access to mental health and other healthcare services;

Priority Action 2.6.3: Increase access to employment; and Priority Action 2.6.4: Increase access to education):

1. Culturally responsive and linguistically appropriate services tailored to domestic clients

2. Identification, screening, assessment, safety planning, and service planning

3. Advocacy and information about crime victims’ rights and services

4. Direct assistance to support unmet basic needs and the well-being of domestic individuals who have experienced human trafficking

5. Allowable and reasonable expenses such as food, clothing, transportation assistance, child care, and interpreter services, including certified deaf interpreters

6. Health care including traditional healing, mental health, behavioral health, substance use treatment, vaccinations, medical, residential treatment, vision, and dental services

7. Emergency, transitional, and long-term housing assistance

8. Employment assistance, vocational training, and job training and placement services, such as those offered through American Job Centers and other employment and training programs funded by the U.S. Department of Labor, including the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act section 166 Indian and Native American Programs; or the U.S.

Department of the Interior’s Indian Employment, Training and Related Services Consolidation Act of 2017 Program (for more information visit:

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/dinap)

9. Enrolling clients to receive public benefits, including identifying the benefits available;

assisting with the application preparation and submission; tracking the status of an application; assisting with collecting supporting documentation that a benefit granting agency may require; and helping clients appeal a denial of benefits, etc

Optional comprehensive case management services that may be provided directly, or through referral, include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Legal advocacy and services related to an individual’s human trafficking experience, including explanation of legal rights and protections, cooperation with law enforcement, and assistance with family and civil matters (e.g., protection orders, victims’ rights enforcement and compliance efforts, representation in family court, emancipation of minors, expungement or vacatur of criminal records, and name changes)

2. Educational assistance

3. Life skills training, including managing personal finances

4. Peer-to-peer support and mentoring

5. Family reunification and supportive services intended to support broader well-being

Comprehensive case management services should empower clients to identify and achieve personal milestones toward well-being and independence and may include leadership development opportunities. Case management services and activities should be low-barrier and include service plan development, counseling, monitoring, evaluating client progress, and securing and coordinating direct services.

DVHT-SO Program prime recipients must have the capacity to deliver all required services to clients directly through their agency and/or through formal partnership(s), which includes referring clients to the appropriate community agency if no such partnership exists. If a client requires services that are beyond the prime recipient’s and, if applicable, its subrecipient's capacity, the client must be provided with referrals to services within the community. Under the DVHT-SO Program, prime recipients must maintain proper documentation of all referrals provided. Prime recipients serving homeless minors who are at-risk for human trafficking may consider partnering with local Family and Youth Services Bureau-funded programs (including https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/dinap

Runaway Homeless Youth recipients, Family Violence Prevention and Services recipients, and Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention recipients) to connect applicable clients to services.

Prime recipients must strive to refer clients to pro bono providers whenever possible. If a client requires services that are within the scope of DVHT-SO Program but are beyond the prime recipient's capacity and cannot be covered through pro bono providers, prime recipients may use DVHT-SO funds to cover service costs related to the client's need in accordance with the following restrictions: a) funds may not be used to pay for direct benefits for family members; b) all client-related costs must be allowable, reasonable, allocable, and commensurate with allowable program activities as noted in the NOFO and CFR; and c) any costs found to be unallowable will be disallowed and will require reimbursement to the project or the government if the project period has ended. Please see Section IV.6. Funding Restrictions for more information.

Under the DVHT-SO Program, prime recipients and, if applicable, the subrecipient(s) must conduct client satisfaction surveys to assess the quality of services being provided and to identify areas of program improvement. Please see Section I. DVHT-SO Administrative Requirements, Service Delivery Protocol for more information. Prime recipients are encouraged to develop client satisfaction surveys and other evaluation tools through partnerships with colleges and universities, including but not limited to tribal colleges and universities, historically black colleges and universities, and other minority serving institutions recognized by the U.S.

Department of Education. No more than 3 percent of total award funds per budget period may be used to support client satisfaction evaluation efforts. Please see Section IV.6. Funding Restrictions for more information.

Financial Assistance for Transitional Costs Clients that are within 8 months of program discharge may receive a one-time financial assistance for transitional costs of up to $2,000 to cover the following expenses:

Housing (e.g., security deposit, first month’s rent, relocation, etc.)

Education (e.g., tuition, enrollment fees, textbooks, etc.)

Employment (e.g., certification courses, purchasing business attire, etc.)

Child care (e.g. daycare costs, before/aftercare school costs, etc.)

Other costs that the client, in collaboration with the Case Manager, identify as necessary for the client’s successful discharge from services.

Prime recipients must develop a policy within their service delivery protocol to assess client readiness to receive financial assistance at least 8 months prior to discharge from services that includes, at a minimum, objective criteria for assessing client readiness to receive financial assistance; timing and mechanism for disbursement; and dispute resolution procedures. The policy must be applicable to all clients served under the DVHT-SO Program, including clients served through subrecipient(s), if applicable; demonstrate consideration for client agency; be voluntary; provide equal access and available funding level to all clients; and include a process that allows for clients to re-enroll to accept financial assistance within 8 months following their discharge if they have not already received a total of up to $2,000 in financial assistance.

The client must be enrolled in services while receiving the financial assistance of up to $2,000. Payments must be made directly to the third-party (e.g., security deposit paid directly to a landlord, tuition paid directly to educational institution, child care payment paid directly to provider, etc.), and not directly to the client. Future expenses outside the enrollment period may not be dispersed. So, for example, if a client has tuition or housing costs that are longer than the 8 months period and extends beyond their discharge date, these costs may not be charged to the award. Recipients must track financial assistance spending for each client to ensure total financial assistance does not exceed $2,000. A client’s decision to not request post-discharge services must not prevent them from re-enrolling in services under the DVHT-SO Program or pursuing financial assistance at a later date. Please see Section I. DVHT-SO Administrative Requirements, Service Delivery Protocol and Section IV.6. Funding Restrictions for more information.

Recipients must use traceable mechanisms for disbursement to include direct payments to vendor, reimbursed receipts, or invoices to ensure accurate record keeping. The issuance of alternative payment mechanisms (i.e., gift cards or cash) is not permitted.

Prime recipients must thoroughly document individual financial assistance plans and spending, including line-item amounts, cost category, nontraditional cost category, mechanisms for disbursements, connection to related goals, receipts, bank records, client identifiers, and relevant dates. Regardless of the number of times a client reenrolls, clients may only access up to $2,000 in financial assistance one time under any federal grant program funded by OTIP, so the prime recipient is responsible for keeping track of whatever balance is remaining from the $2,000.

OTIP will review disbursement records for monitoring purposes throughout the project period. Prime recipients must consider available budget and projected financial assistance needs for each budget period. Prime recipients should not anticipate the availability of supplemental funding to meet this program requirement.

Outreach Under the DVHT-SO Program, targeted outreach to U.S. citizens and LPRs developed by prime recipients throughout the project period must be conducted in the identified geographic region and in venues, markets, and industries where human trafficking is known or suspected to occur. OTIP distinguishes between outreach and public awareness. Outreach is direct contact with domestic individuals who may have experienced of human trafficking or populations who are vulnerable for or those considered to be at a higher risk for human trafficking. Examples include street outreach, targeted online contact, and human trafficking screening carried out in court diversion programs, detention centers, community organizations, agricultural settings, hospitality industry, restaurants, factories, domestic work settings, foster care, and elder and childcare settings. Screenings may be conducted during outreach events, but it is not required, as it may not always be feasible or safe to do so.

Public awareness includes education efforts aimed at the general public. Examples include community awareness raising, newspaper articles, radio or television interviews, and tabling at conferences. Prime recipients may not use DVHT-SO Program funds to support any public awareness activities throughout the project period.

OTIP recognizes that partnerships serve to extend reach throughout the geographic project region in most successful outreach models; therefore, OTIP encourages prime recipients to partner with agencies that have demonstrated experience conducting outreach to identify individuals who have experienced human trafficking, including outreach conducted within communities that are at higher risk for human trafficking. As part of the outreach strategy under the DVHT-SO Program, prime recipients must use standardized screening tool(s) that are validated and evidence- and trauma-informed to identify and evaluate client needs throughout the service relationship. Prime recipients may elect to use one or multiple tools, but all tools used must be designed to identify adult and minor individuals who have experienced sex and labor trafficking by assessing common indicators of human trafficking, which include the following:

Feels pressured from their employer to stay in a job or situation they want to leave.

Owes money to an employer or recruiter and/or is not being paid what they were promised or are owed.

Does not control their own identity documents (e.g., passport, drivers license, Social

Security card, tribal identification, etc.).

Is living and working in isolated conditions, largely cut off from interaction with others or support systems.

Appears to be monitored by another person when talking or interacting with others.

Is receiving threats of harm from their employer/supervisor.

Is working in dangerous conditions without proper safety gear, training, adequate breaks, and other precautions.

Is living in dangerous, overcrowded, or inhumane conditions provided by an employer.

Wants to stop participating in the coercive engagement of selling or trading sex but is intimidated or feels afraid to leave.

Discloses they were reluctant to engage in selling sex but that someone pressured them into it.

Lives where they work or are transported by guards, vans, or contractors, between home and workplace.

Is a minor who lives with, is supported by, or is dependent on a family member with a substance use problem or who is abusive in other ways.

Has a trafficker or manager in the sex trade.

Works in an industry where it may be common to be pressured into performing sex acts for money, such as a strip club, go-go bar, or illicit massage business or cantina.

Has controlling parent, guardian, romantic partner, or “sponsor” who will not allow them to meet or speak with them alone, or monitors their movements, spending, and/or communications.

Is not in control of their own money or has no financial records and/or bank account.

Is unable to attend school.

Is unable to participate in extracurricular activities or come and go as they please from their home.

Is a minor being obligated to perform work, especially if it may jeopardize their safety, health, well-being, or educational opportunities.

Feels pressure to work to pay off debts or remittances.

Is being forced, coerced, or pressured to provide a labor or service that contributes to an illegal or illicit activity or business operation (e.g., assault, arms smuggling/dealing, decoy services, extortion, gang activity, financial scams, human smuggling/foot guiding, drug cultivation/production, drug transporting/distribution, drug smuggling, commercial sexual exploitation, look-out/scouting, robbery, and wildlife smuggling).

Optional outreach and screening tools that prime recipients can use in project activities are available in the OTIP website’s Resource Library. The following federal programs can promote, coordinate, and make referrals to service delivery systems and training and technical assistance resources.

National Human Trafficking Hotline

NHTTAC

Administration for Native Americans Runaway and Homeless Youth Program Family Violence Prevention & Services Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program Child Welfare Information Gateway U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Exchange

All outreach materials must be submitted to the grantor for approval at least 30 days prior to the intended event, regardless of prior approvals through other programs or past HHS, the U.S.

Department of Justice, or state officials. For more information on prior approval requirements, see Section I., Post-Award Requirements, Tools and Resources.

DVHT-SO ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS

Subawards Recipients under this grant program may opt to transfer a portion of substantive programmatic work to other organizations through subaward(s). The prime recipient must maintain a substantive role in the project. ACF defines a substantive role as conducting activities and/or providing services funded under the award that are necessary and integral to the completion of the project. Subrecipient monitoring activities alone, as specified in 45 CFR § 75.352, do not constitute a substantive role. Furthermore, ACF does not fund awards where the role of the applicant is primarily to serve as a conduit for passing funds to other organizations unless that arrangement is authorized by statute. No more than 40 percent of total award funds per budget period may be awarded as subawards. Please see Section IV.6. Funding Restrictions for more information.

Subrecipient(s) must meet the eligibility requirements identified in the NOFO, Section III.1.

Eligible Applicants. Additionally, all subrecipient(s) must obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number assigned by the System for Award Management (SAM), if they do not already have one. Prime recipients are required to check SAM to verify that the subrecipient(s) is/are not debarred, suspended, or ineligible.

Please reference the Award Term and Condition on Subawards on the ACF Administrative and National Policy Requirements website for further requirements involving subawards.

Prime recipients must conduct a risk assessment of the subrecipient(s) in accordance with 45 CFR § 75.352(b). Prime recipients are required to adhere to the requirements noted in 45 CFR §75.352 and be in compliance with 45 CFR § 75.351 and § 75.353. Prime recipients may be required to report under the Federal Financial Accountability and Transparency Act.

https://www.acf.hhs.gov/otip/resource-library https://humantraffickinghotline.org/ https://nhttac.acf.hhs.gov/ https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ana https://www.acf.hhs.gov/fysb/runaway-homeless-youth https://www.acf.hhs.gov/fysb/programs/family-violence-prevention-services https://www.acf.hhs.gov/fysb/adolescent-pregnancy-prevention https://www.childwelfare.gov/ https://www.hudexchange.info/ https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.acf.hhs.gov%2Fadministrative-and-national-policy-requirements%23book_content_14&data=05%7C01%7CKate.Cooper%40acf.hhs.gov%7Ca7b13553d78a451595b208da23a1b4c2%7Cd58addea50534a808499ba4d944910df%7C0%7C0%7C637861474802641249%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=zc9RyIgn0PpTE0EuGbBebrfoP4ODa%2BCGoTe1XZU%2FpLo%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.acf.hhs.gov%2Fadministrative-and-national-policy-requirements&data=05%7C01%7CKate.Cooper%40acf.hhs.gov%7Ca7b13553d78a451595b208da23a1b4c2%7Cd58addea50534a808499ba4d944910df%7C0%7C0%7C637861474802641249%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=uewMUXOPnf%2F14veH24o9nIVC3sknianSOUhoPf8Sll0%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.acf.hhs.gov%2Fadministrative-and-national-policy-requirements&data=05%7C01%7CKate.Cooper%40acf.hhs.gov%7Ca7b13553d78a451595b208da23a1b4c2%7Cd58addea50534a808499ba4d944910df%7C0%7C0%7C637861474802641249%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=uewMUXOPnf%2F14veH24o9nIVC3sknianSOUhoPf8Sll0%3D&reserved=0

Should a subrecipient perform unsatisfactorily, prime recipients are responsible for remedying subrecipient issues. Prime recipients will be held accountable for cost disallowances regarding subawarded funds. Subrecipient performance will also be considered during review of applications for non-competing continuations. If requirements of the program cannot be met due to subrecipient issues, ACF may need to take one or more of the actions listed under 45 CFR § 75.371-.372, including withholding or disallowing funds, partially or fully suspending the award, or terminating the award.

Service Delivery Protocol Under the DVHT-SO Program, prime recipients must develop a service delivery protocol. The protocol must outline the prime recipient's policies and procedures for eligibility, comprehensive case management, referral, discharge and post-discharge policies, and provisions specific to domestic victims of human trafficking. Discharge and post-discharge policies must include, at a minimum, the level of client progress required to be discharged from the program, the frequency and duration of optional post-discharge check-ins, and policies for clients who do not want to remain engaged with the service provider post-discharge. Additionally, the protocol must include financial assistance guidelines that comply with the eligibility and oversight requirements outlined in Section I. DVHT-SO Service Requirements, Financial Assistance for Transitional Costs.

The protocol must include the standardized, validated, evidence- and trauma-informed screening tool(s) DVHT-SO Program staff will use to identify individuals who may have experienced human trafficking during outreach or intake. OTIP understands that providers need time to establish trust with individuals who may have experienced human trafficking in order to facilitate disclosure. Therefore, prime recipients are not required to use the screening tool immediately after establishing the service relationship. The screening tool(s) must be used within 30 days of a client entering the DVHT-SO Program. Please note that though a screening tool does not have to be used until 30 days from date of client entry, prime recipients and, if applicable, the subrecipient(s) must separately assess the eligibility of a prospective client prior to enrollment as described in Section I. DVHT-SO Service Requirements, Eligible Beneficiaries of Program Services.

The protocol must also include a 24-hour response plan for handling client emergencies and emergency calls from law enforcement after hours and on weekends. While acceptable plans cannot be limited to hotline services and call-forwarding systems, the response plan must include coordination with the National Human Trafficking Hotline (NHTH), which maintains a National Referral Directory (Directory) of organizations and programs that serve survivors of trafficking. The Directory includes a comprehensive internal resource for limited use by the NHTH to respond to calls and an online, public version that allows agencies to opt into if they have a specific anti-trafficking focus. Prime recipients must coordinate with the NHTH to ensure all providers receiving funding are included in the Directory's internal or public version. Please note that providing a link to a non-federal website in this NOFO does not constitute an endorsement by ACF or any of its employees, the sponsors of the website, or the information or products presented on the site. ACF cannot attest to the accuracy of information provided any other non-federal linked sites on the website.

In response to NAP (Priority Action 2.6.2: Increase access to shelters and safe housing), the https://humantraffickinghotline.org/training-resources/referral-directory https://humantraffickinghotline.org/training-resources/referral-directory service delivery protocol must include the prime recipient's policies to facilitate safe and secure housing options (e.g., emergency, short-term, transitional, and long-term) for individuals who have experienced human trafficking. The plan must reflect considerations specific to individuals with a criminal record directly resulting from their trafficking experience, as they face additional barriers to accessing housing.

Additionally, the protocol must include policies and procedures to prevent disclosure of confidential, private, or personally identifiable information concerning clients or their immediate family members without informed, written, and reasonably time-limited consent from the person whose information is sought. The protocols must also include the plan for how the DVHT-SO Program prime recipient, and if applicable, the subrecipient(s) will inform clients of the limits to confidentiality prior to disclosures (e.g., mandated reporting requirements, etc.). DVHT-SO Program prime recipients must ensure compliance with 45 CFR § 75.303(e) to take reasonable measures to safeguard a client’s protected personally identifiable information.

The protocol must include the client satisfaction survey the prime recipient and, if applicable, the subrecipient(s) intends to use to assess the quality of services being provided and to identify areas of program improvement as described in Section I. DVHT-SO Service Requirements, Comprehensive Case Management Services.

The protocol must be reflective and inclusive of the DVHT-SO Program's guiding principles as outlined in Section I. DVHT-SO Service Requirements, Guiding Principles. The protocol must be submitted at the end of the first budget period. Please see Section I. Post-Award Requirements, Schedule of Deliverables for more information.

Faith-Based Organizations ACF is mindful that potential funding recipients may have religious objections to providing certain kinds of services. ACF is committed to exploring ways for faith-based organizations to partner with ACF and other funding recipients, even if they object to providing specific services on religious grounds. At the same time ACF is committed to providing the full range of legally permissible services to people who need them, and to do so in a timely fashion and in a manner that respects the diverse religious and cultural backgrounds of those we serve. To accomplish these goals, OTIP requires that organizations that have a religious objection to providing any DVHT-SO required services must provide an alternative approach to meet their grant obligations and describe this approach in their application. Please refer to Section IV.2. The Project Description, Approach for more information.

The alternative approach must be one that accomplishes the goal of ensuring that clients served under the DVHT-SO Program understand the full range of services available in the program and how to receive referrals for such services, either directly through the DVHT-SO project or partnering organization(s). If an alternative approach is proposed, the alternative approach will be reviewed based upon a determination of the following: 1) it will ensure timely provision of all services for which the individual is eligible, 2) it is not burdensome to the client, and 3) it is operationally feasible for ACF.

Capacity Building for Project Staff and Subrecipients Under the DVHT-SO Program, prime recipients must require training on human trafficking for any personnel, including, if applicable, subrecipient staff, who interact with individuals who have experienced human trafficking.